Cigarette package and opening device therefor



oct; 25, 1932. R. L. BOUTIN 1,884,545

CIGARETTE PACKAGE AND OPENING DEVICE THEREFOR Filed- July 6, 1951 fi/Mm8 BY M Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTEPACKAGE AND OPENING DEVICE THEREFOR Application filed July 6, 1931.

.- nish a device of the character described having relatively few andsimple parts, and

which is inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, and reliable andeficient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novelcombinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in theirpreferred embodiments,

pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated on the annexeddrawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same referencecharacters throughout the several views.

at In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective'view of a device with a part removed showing acigarette package embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken 85 on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of theinvention in open position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view 40 of a modified form of theinvention in closed position.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5--5 thereof.

Figs. 6 and 7 are top plan views of further modifications of theinvention.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized whenall of its features and instrumentalities are combined in 50 one and thesame structure, but,-useful de- Serial No. 548,922.

vices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains, that the same may be incorporated in several differentconstructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merelyas showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes a device embodying theinvention. The same may include a cigarette package which may be of anywell known type, as, for example, the soft paper package which isgenerally made by folding and gluing to render the package substantiallyair tight. Packages of this general type may include any well knownsupplemental means to increase the air tightness of the packages. Inorder to adequately illustrate the invention, it will suffice herein torefer to the inner envelope or container 11 which may be made of thesoft paper, metal foil or both, and the outer envelope or container 12which may consist of a pliable sheet material such as transparent paperfolded around the inner container and glued air tight in any suitablemanner.

In cigarette packages of this type an opening is usually torn in acorner of the package for removal of an individual cigarette andretention of the remaining cigarettes. the package is imperforate andcontinuously and uniformly closed, difficulty is encountered in readilytearing through the paper. My inventionaims to afford a quick and easyopening of the package while maintaining the cigarettes in air tightcondition in course of shipment and storage until the cigarettes areready for use.

Accordingly, I may provide a preformed opening 13 in the inner container11, at a corner of the package. This opening may extend at 14 to an edge15 of the package. Secured to the edge 15 in any suitable manner, as byadhesive 16, is a flap 17 having a fold line 18 and a flaplet 19. Theflap 17 is thus adapted to close the opening 13, and to be opened by theflaplet 19, whereupon it may be torn from the package along the foldline 18. The length of the flap is sufficient to as shown.

overlap an edge of the opening 13 as shown at 20.

For retaining the package airtight, the outer container 12 may beuniformly closed whereby it continuously overlies the flap 17 and holdsit closed. As the outer container is made of Very thin paper, a smalltear can be easily started therein, to render the flaplet 19 accessible.When the latter is grasped and pulled, the flap 17 will open causing thetear in the outer container 12 to be completed. As the latter issubstantially transparent, the position of the flaplet or flap can bereadily observed in beginning the opening operation.

In Fig. 3 isshown'a modification of the invention including a pliable orpaper container 21 which may or may not include an outer transparentcontainer as shown in Fig. 1. The container 21 may have an opening 22 ata corner thereof, an edge 23 of said opening being at an edge of thecontainer, and other edges 24 thereof being preferably in proximity tothe side walls of the container Attached or otherwise mounted on thecontainer is a flap 25 which may have a mounting portion 26 and anintermediate fold or perforated tear line 27. The flap 25 is ofsufficient size to overlap the container portions at 24 and also theremote edge 28 of the opening 22. At an end of the flap may be a flaplet29 for grasping the flap. The flap 25 may be glued at its opposite edgesto the container portions at 24, and the end of the flap at the flaplet29 bein free. Thus the flap may bereadily torn open bv the flaplet, andthe flap maybe made of sufliciently strong material for this purpose. Asthus arranged the container will be substantially air tight, but atransparent envelope as in Fig. 1 may be sealed therearound.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modification of the invention including an innercontainer 30 and an outer container 31 encasing the same. The former mayhave a short flap 32 struck therefrom, which flap may or may not have aflaplet 33. I The outer container may have a slit or narrow slot 34 cuttherein to receive the flap 32 in such manner that the flap extendsoutward and overlies the package. As the flap 32 may fit the opening 34rather snugl the package is air tight. To open the pac age it sufficesmerely to grasp the flap and thereby to tear a sufficient opening inboth the inner and outer containers.

In ig. 6 is shown a further modification including a cigarette packagehaving inner and outer container portions 35, 36 respectively. There maybe provided therein offset slits 37 38, respectively, these slits beingbroken at 39, 40 to afford flaps 41, 42. The length of the lower flapmay be sufiicient to extend substantially to the free end of the upper.flap 41, and it may also have its edges spaced from the edges of thelatter. Thus a substantially air tight closure is assured. To open thepackage, both flaplets 41, 42 may be grasped with a single hand and thecorner of the package torn away to provide an opening for thecigarettes.

In Fig. 7 ,is shown a device substantially similar to that shown in Fig.6, and having inner and outer containers 43, 44, the former having aslot 45 affording a flaplet 46, and the latter having preferably auniform straight slit 47 somewhat in advance or otherwise spaced fromthe free end of the flaplet to hold the same snugly closed. To open thepackage, the operator need merely slip his nail in the slit 47 and openthe same and directly engage the flaplet for tearing the package open.The outer container may be either opaque or translucent, in thismodification and in that shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

It will be appreciated that'various changes and modifications may bemade in the device as shown .in the drawing, and that the same issubmitted in an illustrative and not in a limitin sense, the scope ofthe invention being defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A cigarette package including an inner wrapper completely envelopingthe contents of the package, and an outer wrapper closely enveloping theinner wrapper, the inner wrapper and outer wrapper having slits formedin adjacent end walls thereof, said slits being irregular to formsuperimposed alined tabs integral with the individual wrappers andextending in the same direction, the slits having portions adjacent tothe tabs and transverse to the package, the tab of the outer wrapperhaving its end projecting beyond the end of the inner tab and thetransverse portions of the slits being correspondingly spaced withrespect to each other.

2. A cigarettepackage including an inner wrapper completely envelopingthe contents of the package, and an outer wrapper closely enveloping theinner wrapper, the inner 'wrapper having a slit extending generallytransversely of the package, said slit being so shaped as to afiord atab in the wall of the inner wrapper, intermediate of the ends of theslit, the outer wrapper having a slit transverse to the package, theslit of the outer wrapper being spaced from the end of said tab in thedirection in which the tab extends, the portions of the outer wrapperadjacent to the slit thereof closely overlying the tab.

3. A cigarette package including an inner wrapper completely envelopingthe contents of the package, and an outer wrapper closely enveloping theinner wrapper, the inner and outer wrappers being in contact with eachother and having a plurality of slits extending transversely of an endwall of the package in proximity to a corner of the same,

the slit in the outer wrapper being more remote from said corner thanthe slit in the inner wrapper, and the outer wrapper closely overlyingthe slit portion of the inner Wrapper for sealing the package, whereby amovement of an operators finger toward the corner of the package can beused to strip a corner opening in both Wrappers.

In testimony wheref I aifix my signature.

RAOUL LOUIS BOUTIN.

